


give me your heart

by starrynightzayn



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Banter, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Ice Skating, M/M, Mutual Pining, No sexual content but they get a bit handsy at the end, POV Zayn Malik, Romance, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28420413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynightzayn/pseuds/starrynightzayn
Summary: “I mean...listen, if you need someone.”Zayn looked up.“What if I went as your boyfriend?”Zayn’s eyes widened.“What?”“Yeah, I could pose as your boyfriend. I don’t have any plans.”Zayn froze.“Liam I couldn’t ask that of you…”orLiam and Zayn have been working together as songwriters for the past few months. When Zayn lies to his family about being in a relationship and bringing someone home for the week, all eyes are on him and who this mysterious man could be. But the last thing he expects is for Liam to offer to pretend to be his boyfriend.
Relationships: Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Comments: 38
Kudos: 83





	give me your heart

**Author's Note:**

> thank you amelie for the wonderful beta and all ur support!!!! i love you sooo much. also thanks to rini for answering my questions along the way and being the absolute sweetest love you too 😚💘
> 
> this one's for you ellie!! cuz in everything i do there's a piece of you in it <3
> 
> thank you for taking the time to read this and i hope you enjoy :) title from zayn's song intermission: flower!

Zayn looked down at his phone and sighed. He waited for it to stop ringing before putting it back on the table, only for it to start ringing again a few minutes later. He picked it up despite already knowing who it was and shook his head. This was the _third_ time his mom had tried calling him in the past hour and he had a headache. Zayn put his phone on silent and slipped it into the pocket of his jacket, returning to his seat. 

“Everything alright?” Liam asked, noticing Zayn’s slightly annoyed expression. 

“Yeah ‘s fine. Just my mom calling again.” 

Liam nodded, debating whether to press on. Zayn fidgeted for a bit, twiddling his thumbs and scratching his neck. 

“Wanna take 5?”

Zayn looked up and noticed Liam’s soft expression, letting out a sigh of relief. Liam always knew exactly what to say. 

“Yeah that’d be great.” 

They made their way to the patio of the studio, the sun beating down on their faces and providing a comfortable warmth. Zayn sat on the steps and Liam joined him, turning so they were facing each other. 

“So what’s going on?” Liam asked.

“You’re gonna laugh…” 

Liam raised his eyebrow. “I won’t, promise. You know I’d never.” 

Zayn nodded and slouched down, almost wanting to hide from Liam’s sight. 

“So you know how we have the next few weeks off, with everyone on holiday?” 

Liam nodded, looking back expectantly. 

“Well I was planning on going to my parent’s house; I usually do whenever there’s a long break. Anyway, at the beginning of the month I was on the phone with my sister and joked about bringing someone. All my sisters have been on me recently to get out and date. So I said that I’d be “bringing the boyfriend” and she thought I was serious. I tried to take it back but honestly I don’t think she could hear me over the cheers, she started telling everyone before I could get another word in. And now people are expecting someone and I have nobody to bring. It’s gonna be a mess.” 

Zayn sighed out loud, resting his head in his hands. 

“Wow that’s… something. Is there really no one you can bring?” Liam said. 

“Nope. Unless you can find someone who’s willing to come with me to my parent’s house for a few days I couldn’t tell ya.” 

“Hmmm. I guess you’re not willing to call them and say it was a lie?” 

“I was planning on it but then it spread to our extended family and got out of hand. Now they’re expecting pictures! Everyone’s gonna think I’m crazy or something for lying about that but it just slipped out as a joke!” Zayn stretched out the sleeves of his jacket and rested his chin on them. 

“It’s not your fault, mate.” Liam gently placed his hand on Zayn’s back, careful not to overstep. 

A small smile spread across Zayn’s face. He was grateful for Liam’s kind gesture, but his mind was still racing. _What was he going to do?_

“I mean...listen, if you need someone.” 

Zayn looked up. 

“What if I went as your boyfriend?”

Zayn’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Yeah, I could pose as your boyfriend. I don’t have any plans.”

Zayn froze. 

“Liam I couldn’t ask that of you…”

“Why not? You just said you need a guy to be your date. I’m a guy and I’m more than happy to! You’re always telling me about your family and how great they are, now’s my chance to meet them.” 

Zayn rested his back against the railing, his mind racing. He remained silent trying to process it all. 

“Listen. When would we need to be at your parent’s house?” Liam said, interrupting his thinking. 

“Monday.” 

“Ok. If you let me know by Sunday morning, I’m game. It’s your choice, Malik.” 

Liam grabbed the railing and forced himself up. 

“Now come on, we have to finish writing this single. I don’t wanna have to work on it while I’m with your family,” he said with a wink. 

Zayn got up and followed him inside, more confused than before; that was _not_ how he’d expected the conversation to go. 

* * *

“He said _what?”_

“He said he’d come as my boyfriend.”

“Zayn, that is truly amazing. You have to say yes.” Louis was cackling on the other line. 

“Wouldn’t that be weird though? We’re coworkers, mate, I don’t wanna make him uncomfortable. Especially since we’ll have to go back to working after.”

“Listen. You’re the one who said you needed someone to be your date and Liam offered. I don’t see the problem.” 

Zayn bit his lip. See this _wouldn’t_ be a problem if he just saw Liam as a friend. But for the past few months he’d started liking him more than that and wasn’t sure what to do about it. Him and Liam were songwriters for fuck's sake. They spent all their time sitting in a room together and thinking of romantic shit to write, of course something had to happen. 

“Zayn? Ya still there?”

“Yeah I’m here, mate.”

“What are you thinking about? Don’t tell me you got a crush on this guy.”

“I gotta go, I'll call you later.”

“Zayn, wait—”

But before he could say anything else Zayn hung up on him. He flopped onto his bed and went back to thinking about what he should do. He couldn’t ask the guy he liked to pretend to be his boyfriend... _could he?_

* * *

Apparently he could! It was Saturday night and after spending all day thinking about it after his call with Louis, Zayn had decided he was going to ask Liam to come with him. It was only for a few days, he could manage. At least that’s what he kept (repeatedly) telling himself as he reached for his phone. 

“Hello?”

“Hey Liam. So I thought about it and if you’re still down I’d like to bring you to my parent’s.”

“Wicked! I’ll pack tomorrow. You said we have to be there on Monday right?”

“Yeah. I’ll pick you up and we’ll go down there together.”

“Sounds good. Text me when I should be ready. I can’t wait!” 

Zayn hung up and returned to his bed, staring up at the ceiling while thoughts swirled around his head. In two days he was gonna pretend to be Liam Payne’s boyfriend. _How the hell did that happen?_

* * *

Zayn finished packing his toothbrush and toothpaste before wheeling his suitcase to the front door. He looked around to make sure he had everything and checked his phone to see what time it was: 2:27 p.m. He needed to leave by 3 p.m. if they were gonna arrive at the house by 6. He ordered an Addison Lee and pushed his suitcase into the elevator. There was no telling what the rest of the week would look like. 

He waited in the lobby of his flat and texted Liam that he would be there soon. He’d told him to be ready at 3 the night before and Liam had expressed once again how excited he was. Zayn wasn’t sure what to think. Excited definitely wasn’t what he’d use to describe how he was feeling. 

The Addison Lee arrived soon after and he got in, arriving at Liam’s house just before 3. He was already standing outside with his bags and hopped in immediately, a wide grin on his face. 

“Hey Zayn! How are you?” 

“Alright. You?”

“Good! Can’t wait to meet your folks and sisters.” 

“Right...I was thinking we should figure out a backstory and go over some rules before we get there?”

“Yeah ok. What’d you have in mind?”

“So we started dating a few months ago but only got serious in the last couple of weeks. Obviously we met at work and you asked me on a date—”

“Where’d we go?” Liam cut in. 

“Huh?”

“Where’d we go for our date?”

“Oh I don’t know uh. We got dinner somewhere?”

“Hmmm that’s pretty boring. I think we need something more unique.”

“Uh ok...” 

“How about I took you to an art museum? And we went to a comic book store for the second one? I know how much you like those two things,” Liam said excitedly. 

Zayn’s heart surged for a second; he wasn’t expecting that. 

“Oh yeah those are great. Thanks.”

Liam nodded with a warm smile that made Zayn light up. He bit his lip, trying to hold back a grin. 

“Anyway um. That should be good for a backstory so—”

“I think we need details. You’re always saying how your parents ask a bunch of questions about your work and life. I imagine we’re gonna need to give them a whole breakdown of how it went down.”

Liam was right, his parents would probably push for everything that happened. Despite his plan to avoid that conversation as much as possible, he knew it wasn’t realistic. 

“Well for the museum date we can say you took me to the Wolverhampton Art Gallery. We went in the afternoon and got pastries after and sat in a park and chatted…” Zayn began. 

“Yeah that’s perfect! And for the comic book store we went because of a new collection that had just dropped. I took you back to my flat after and we made dinner together. Maybe pasta?”

Zayn laughed. Liam really _was_ taking all of this seriously and it was incredibly endearing. He couldn’t help but smile. 

“Ok sure. I think that’s enough now.” 

Liam nodded. 

“Now onto the ground rules. Obviously no telling anyone we’re not actually together. Also uh no kissing. Public affection isn’t really a thing people do in our culture so…”

“Yeah, alright.” 

“And then—”

“Do you mean just lips or…?” 

Zayn’s cheeks got hot. 

“Oh, uh...”

“Like is forehead or cheek ok?”

“Um not really.” 

“Ok. Holding hands then?”

Zayn thought about that for a second. 

“We don’t have to do anything, but I figured we should show some physical contact. We gotta sell this, remember? I’m all in if you are, Malik.” 

He was. He had to be. 

“Ok, yeah. No kissing but other stuff is fine.” 

“Sounds good.” 

“Think that’s it. You ready?” Zayn asked, not even sure if he was. 

“Yeah. I’m ready.” 

Zayn nodded and Liam sat back, taking his earbuds out. Zayn noticed him scroll through a playlist and land on Blinding Lights by The Weeknd. _Good choice._

“Ya wanna listen?” Liam asked. 

Zayn nodded, a smile begging to cover his entire face as Liam handed him one of the earbuds. Zayn popped it in and the tune entered his ears. He moved a bit closer so the wire wasn’t extended as much and he was practically in the middle seat now. Liam didn’t seem to mind. Zayn sat back, too, and they closed their eyes as the driver took them to Bradford. 

* * *

They arrived at the house right before 6 p.m., just as Zayn had hoped. He’d only taken a few steps out of the car when his sisters appeared in front of him. 

“Hi, Zaynie,” Safaa said, wrapping her arms around him. 

“Hi, how are you?” he said, hugging her back. 

“Good. Is this your boyfriend?” she asked immediately, turning to Liam. 

“Uh yeah, this is him,” Zayn said awkwardly. 

Liam extended his hand and shook Safaa’s. “Hi, I’m Liam! Nice to meet you, Safaa.” 

“Hmmm. Hi there,” she said, almost analyzing him. 

“And you’re not gonna say hi to the rest of us?” 

Zayn turned around and saw his parents slightly behind. Zayn laughed and gave them a hug, Yaser planting a quick kiss on his cheek. 

“And who’s this?” Tricia asked, as if she hadn’t heard the first part of the conversation. 

Zayn just rolled his eyes and shook his head. 

“This is Liam, my boyfriend.”

“Hi! Nice to meet you!” Liam stepped forward and shook hands with everyone, blushing when Yaser brought him in for a hug. 

“It’s nice to meet you Liam. How was the journey?” Tricia asked. 

“Oh, not bad. Me and Zayn just listened to music and talked and it was smooth sailing.” She gave him a smile in return. Zayn could only stand back and watch everything unfold.

“Here, I’ll take your bags. Let’s get you boys settled,” Yaser said. 

Liam began to speak but Zayn gave him a quick tap on the shoulder before he could. He had a feeling Liam was going to offer to carry the bags himself, which wasn’t customary when they had guests over. He tried to signal that to Liam by shaking his head but Liam just responded with a puzzled look on his face. Luckily everyone had started walking inside so he leaned forward and whispered in Liam’s ear. 

“Just let him.” 

Liam smiled at him gratefully and nodded, following Zayn into the house. 

* * *

“So how did you two meet again? You never told me over the phone, honey,” Tricia said once they’d gotten inside. 

“Liam’s the main songwriter I’ve been working with. We’ve been together for the past few months.” 

“Oh! Someone else interested in music, how nice,” she said with a smile. 

Zayn just nodded, trying to think of how he could shut the conversation down. 

“How’d you guys start dating?” Waliyha asked, looking up from her phone. 

“Uh—”

“Why don’t we let the boys put their stuff down and relax for a bit? They can tell us over dinner.”

Zayn couldn’t help but smile at his dad’s interjection. 

“That’d be great,” Zayn said, trying to not sound overenthusiastic. 

“Liam you’ll be staying in our guest room. You can follow me this way,” Yaser said as he directed Liam up the stairs. 

Liam looked back at Zayn, slightly confused again, but followed Yaser nonetheless. Tricia squeezed Zayn’s shoulder and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

“He seems nice. I can’t wait to get to know him the next couple of days.”

Zayn smiled back at her, pushing back every thought that was coming to him. 

“Come let’s get you settled, you're probably tired from the ride. I'll finish cooking dinner and we’ll eat around 8? That way you can freshen up and take a nap if you want.”

Zayn nodded and made his way to his bedroom. As he got to the top of the stairs he overheard laughing and noticed it was coming from the guest room. He took a few steps closer to try to make out what they were saying. 

“Yeah I’ve been boxing since I was 14,” Liam said. 

“That’s fantastic! If you have some downtime I could take you to the gym I go to.”

“Yeah, that’d be ace!” 

Zayn stared back in confusion. Boxing? Together? He had no idea Liam boxed. Sure he’d mentioned working out a few times, but never boxing specifically. He noticed a shadow coming closer and realized someone was about to walk out. He rushed his suitcase into his room and pretended to be busy. Not a minute later Yaser came in. 

“Hey, beta."

Zayn turned to him and smiled. 

“Hey.” 

“Liam and I were just talking, apparently he boxes!”

“Oh yeah he’s mentioned it before,” Zayn said, lying through the skin of his teeth. 

“I was thinking of bringing him to the gym, if that’s alright with you.” 

“Yeah, sure dad. Thanks.” 

“Everything else ok? Work going well I imagine now that you’re doing it with your boyfriend.”

Zayn chuckled. “Yeah yeah it’s good. I’m happy there.”

“I’m glad Zayn. Let me know if you need anything, I’ll see you at dinner.” 

Zayn nodded as Yaser went to leave, though Zayn noticed him pause for a second. He turned around. 

“I like him already, Zayn. Really.” 

Zayn turned to face him, letting out a small sigh. 

“Me too.” 

* * *

Just before 8 p.m., both Liam and Zayn emerged from their rooms.

“Hey,” Liam said from across the hallway. 

“Hey. Dinner should be ready soon, wanna head down?”

“Yeah, sure.” Liam walked over and they made their way to the kitchen. 

“So how’s the room?” Zayn asked. 

‘It’s nice. Cozy! Mind explaining why we’re in separate rooms? I figured couples usually didn’t do that kind of thing.” 

“Oh couples don’t really share rooms in our culture unless they’re married. I was trying to signal that to you before, sorry for not mentioning it earlier.” 

“No worries, I was just wondering. The room is great. And now you can have yours all to yourself!” 

Zayn nodded, looking away; a part of him had been hoping they would share the same bed despite knowing it would never happen. He laughed and let out a quick “yeah” before rushing ahead. 

As soon as they got downstairs, they were greeted by the smell of Desi food. Biryani and chicken tikka and samosas and naan and everything else you could possibly imagine. Zayn wasn’t totally surprised, his mom always cooked up a storm when he came home. But this? The entire kitchen table was covered in food. No doubt Liam being here had something to do with it. 

“This looks great, thank you,” Liam said as he laid his eyes on everything. 

“Yeah, thanks mum.”

Tricia beamed and gave him a side hug. 

“Thank you boys. I’ll call the girls, Yaser should be down shortly too.” 

She made her way out of the kitchen and began shouting their names. Zayn just laughed and shook his head, Liam joining him. 

“She seems great, your mom.” 

“Yeah, she’s the best.” Zayn looked over at her as she stood near the bottom of the steps, calling after his sisters, a warmth rising in him. 

“She likes you so far.” Zayn said, turning back to Liam. 

“God, I hope so. We’ll see after dinner. I plan on wowing her with my storytelling skills.” 

Zayn chuckled anxiously. “Alright. Just focus on the date stuff and I’ll handle everything else.” 

Liam nodded and soon after Zayn’s mom and the rest of the family entered the kitchen. Everyone started filling their plates up and made their way over to the dining room. Zayn noticed the extra chair next to his usual one and assumed it had been put there for Liam. He smiled and sat down, Liam entering a few minutes later and sitting on it. 

Zayn smiled and began eating, everyone else eventually wandering in a few minutes later. He kept checking on Liam to see how he was doing with the food. His mom hadn’t toned it down with the spiciness but Liam seemed to be enjoying it. He gave him a gentle shove and mouthed “it’s ok?”, to which Liam nodded back and smiled, his cheeks puffing up from the food in his mouth. Zayn smiled, so incredibly endeared, and went back to eating. 

“Now that it’s dinner time, can Zayn tell us how him and Liam got together?” Waliyha asked again. 

Everyone chuckled and Zayn tried to remain calm. 

“So back in August—”

“Actually babe do you mind if I tell the story?’ Liam asked, staring back at Zayn. 

“Oh yeah of course.” Zayn was already beginning to panic. 

“So back in August me and Zayn were finishing work and cleaning up the studio. It was early evening and both of us were exhausted. I’d been wanting to ask him out for a few weeks at that point, but I hadn’t mustered up the courage to. He started singing something under his breath that got my attention. It wasn’t in english so I couldn’t make out what he was saying but I loved the way he sang it. There was a lot of passion and warmth in his voice, it made me really happy. I told him so, and the way he looked at me with his soft brown eyes...I knew I had to say something. So I asked if he’d wanna go on a date with me that weekend, and he said yes. I took him to the Wolverhampton Art Museum cause he’d mentioned a few times how much he’d been wanting to go. We walked around and he told me all these things about art I’d never heard of or ever would’ve thought about. Then we went to this shop by the corner and got some pastries and sat in a park and chatted. I’ve never felt so close and safe with someone. We both shared stuff about our lives and careers, things I’d never felt comfortable telling anyone else. We were there till probably 9 at night when it started to get chilly out and I took him home. And since then we’ve just kept it going.” 

Liam had been looking around the room, directing his attention to different family members while telling the story. But now he was looking only at Zayn, like he was the only one there. There was silence everywhere. 

“Wow that’s...wonderful,” Tricia said. She and Yaser were both glowing. 

“It was great. No doubt the best first date I’ve ever been on,” Liam added. Zayn was speechless. He just kept staring at Liam, their eyes locked. 

“Can’t believe you never told us Zaynie,” Waliyha piped up, almost accusingly. 

Zayn snapped out of his trance. “Oh yeah sorry I just. It felt private…” 

“We didn’t become serious till recently. Zayn didn’t wanna tell you guys until it was,” Liam said, trying to move the conversation along. 

Waliyha just nodded. “Mmhmm.” 

“So uh now that that’s out of the way how have things been at home?” Zayn asked. 

“Oh, fine. The girls have been working too and relaxing and me and your dad get along. But we wanna hear more about you, love! Tell us about work and friends.” 

“I’d like to hear about that second date of yours,” Safaa said with a big grin on her face. 

Liam chuckled and turned to Zayn, his eyes looking at him expectantly. All of the anxiety Zayn had been feeling before washed away, and he was actually enjoying himself. He found comfort in being next to Liam. A kind of safety. He turned back to his family, smiling at all of them. 

“Well if you insist. So we went to this comic book store…” 

* * *

“I think that went well, don’t ya think?” Liam looked at Zayn as they strolled around the neighborhood after Yaser insisted Zayn show him around.

“Mmhm. Nice job telling that story about our date. I, uh, didn’t know you heard me singing that day.”

“Oh, yeah. Honestly I’ve been meaning to tell you how much I loved it, the song was beautiful. Hearing you sing in another language was really nice.”

Zayn looked down at the ground and smiled.

“Thanks, it was Urdu.” 

“What do the lyrics mean if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Uh, they’re ‘until the flower of this love has blossomed the heart won’t be at peace.’ I haven’t finished it yet, I’m still trying to come up with an ending.” 

“That’s…wow. I didn’t think I could love it more, but I do.” 

Zayn's face lit up. “Thanks.”

“Yeah ‘course. Also nice job with talking about our second date. I liked that last bit about us reading the comic books on the couch together.”

“Thanks. I’ve actually been meaning to get my hands on that Batman comic for months but I can’t find it anywhere.” 

Liam nodded and they kept on walking. 

“So um...do you like the holidays?” Zayn asked, hoping to continue the conversation. 

“Love ‘em. My family is big on traditions so we do the whole thing. Decorating gingerbread houses and wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and hosting Secret Santa, it’s great. What about you?” 

“Oh, we don’t really celebrate Christmas.”

“Ah gotcha. Well, is there anything you still like to do around this time?”

“There’s this winter festival we go to every year that’s always fun. Everyone ice skates there, so you’ll have to join us for that.”

“Well, I look forward to it. I’m not the best if I’m being honest, so you’ll have to help me.”

Zayn chuckled. He couldn’t imagine Liam not being good at something. “Yeah sure. No worries.”

“Thanks.”

Zayn looked up, not wanting to take his eyes off Liam. He felt his chest burning, his heartbeat starting to quicken. Liam was just so _beautiful._ His eyes soft, his smile warm, his words spoken with a kind of genuine tone Zayn had never heard before. He already knew all these things about him, but he felt himself noticing them more in the past few hours. Maybe it was having Liam at his house, in his space, that made him feel closer and forced to analyze every moment. Maybe it was the looming crush that threatened to only get worse over the coming days. Either way he was picking up on things, feeling himself grow more fond. He wanted that feeling to never go away. 

“Uh, should we head back now? Don’t want your parents to get mad at me for keeping you out too long.” 

Zayn nodded and they turned around, making their way down the same path they’d started on. They chatted about work a bit more and some upcoming projects, and Zayn could feel a heat rising in him because of the way Liam spoke so passionately. He continued listening as they walked into the house. 

“Might take a quick shower before bed. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Liam said. 

“Yeah. Night Liam.” 

“Night Zayn.” 

* * *

Zayn woke up the next morning to the sound of voices and laughter. He checked his phone to see the time: 10:17 a.m. _Way_ too early to be up. He put his phone back on the table and flipped to the other side in an attempt to fall back asleep. 15 minutes went by before Zayn realized it wasn’t gonna happen. He figured he’d get out of bed and see what the noise was all about as it had only gotten louder. 

He changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and went into the hallway. He noticed the door to the guest room was wide open and peeked inside; no sight of Liam. It was then that he heard his voice coming from the kitchen. _Someone got up early._ He walked downstairs and was met by his entire family and Liam eating breakfast. 

“Morning, sonshine!” Tricia called, making her way over to give him a kiss on the cheek. 

“Morning, mum.” 

“Glad you’re finally up. We were just in the middle of breakfast.” 

“I can see that. Why’s everyone up so early?” Zayn asked as he yawned, covering his mouth. 

“Didn’t you see the snow?” Safaa asked excitedly. 

Zayn turned to the window and noticed the snowflakes hanging from the window and the layer of white on the ground. 

“We’re gonna go to the park and build snowmen. Wanna come?” 

Zayn turned to his sisters who were looking at him expectantly. 

“Ok, sure.” 

“Yay!” the girls said in unison. 

“How’d you sleep, Zayn?” Liam asked, making his way over and cozying up to Zayn. 

“Uh, fine. You?” 

“Same, pretty good. Excited to go out soon!” 

Zayn smiled; at least he’d be able to spend time with him. He found himself staring into space and Liam gave him a gentle shove to bring him back. Zayn looked up to find Liam’s soft brown eyes staring back at him. Zayn smiled, feeling a warmth rising in his chest. Everyone seemed to take notice as Tricia motioned for the girls to move into another room. 

“We’ll leave you two then,” Yaser said, winking at Zayn before joining the others in the room next door. 

Zayn’s face got hot as he nodded. 

“Everything alright?” Liam asked. 

Zayn looked up, stunned at how genuine his expression was. 

“Yeah, I’m ok.” 

He turned away so Liam couldn’t tell he was lying. He didn’t wanna admit how much he wanted to run his hand through Liam’s hair or wrap his arm around his waist. He couldn’t even look at him. Liam's eyes shifted and Zayn could tell he knew something was up. Luckily he didn’t press on and just gave a small nod. 

“Alright, cool. I’m gonna go change. See you later then?” 

“Sounds good.” 

Liam removed his hand from the table, but not without making prolonged eye contact and brushing his fingers against Zayn’s. Zayn sucked in a breath of air. Slowly Liam made his way out of the room, and he made sure to give Zayn a soft smile before leaving. He touched the part of his hand that Liam had graced just seconds before, trying to remind himself of how it felt. He wanted more of that. Again and again and again. Instead he was brought back to reality and forced to have breakfast. 

* * *

“You boys warm enough?” Tricia asked, making sure they had enough layers on that they didn’t freeze outside. 

“Yes, mum. We’ll be fine.” Zayn said. 

“Liam are the thermals I gave you alright?” She said, adjusting his sweatshirt. 

“Yes, thank you! I really appreciate it.” She smiled back at him. 

“Alright, let’s go. Safaa, where are you?” Zayn shouted up the stairs. 

“I’m coming! Relax, would you.” 

A few minutes later she came down, followed by Doniya and Waliyha. 

“Ok, we’re good.” 

“Thank you!” 

Zayn opened the door and was met with a blast of cold air. He shook his head and walked out, followed by the rest of the group. 

“Have fun, darlings!” Tricia called as they made their way down the driveway. 

They walked to the park in silence, the girls leading the way and Liam and Zayn a little bit behind. 

“So you guys like the snow then?” Liam asked. 

“Yeah. My sisters love it. I do too, but not this early.” 

“We could make it fun?” Liam asked with a mischievous grin. 

Zayn turned to Liam, eyebrow raised. Liam leaned down and grabbed a fistful of snow, shaping it into a ball. Zayn laughed and did the same, both of them inching closer to the girls. As they neared the park, Zayn turned to Liam and nodded. They threw their snowballs at the girls and screamed in unison, “Snowball fight!” 

All three girls felt the cold of the snow hit them in the back. Doniya groaned and Waliyha shrieked out loud. “Really?” she asked. But that didn’t stop them from reaching down and grabbing snow, too. 

“Zayn I swear I’m gonna swipe that stupid grin off your face,” Safaa said, hitting him in the face with snow. 

“Someone get his hair!” Doniya called out. 

The girls made it their goal, to remove the beanie from his head and soak his hair with the snow. Waliyha got close at one point as she tried to jump on his back while Safaa held him down. Luckily for Zayn, Liam ran forward and stopped them before she could. 

“Give me your arm!” Liam called. 

_Wait, what?_ “Huh?” 

Before he could say anything else, Liam scooped him up and carried him away. Zayn instinctively wrapped his arms around Liam, feeling how muscular and broad his shoulders were. Liam noticed him staring and giggled, making Zayn look away in embarrassment. He felt Liam’s eyes on him, his lips in particular; or maybe that was just what he wanted to see. He wouldn’t have minded Liam leaning down and kissing him just then. 

“Get back here!” Doniya shouted, running after them. Liam went around in circles, Zayn shrieking with laughter in his arms. Waliyha and Safaa followed her, trying to grab onto him. Liam was too fast though and kept on sprinting. 

They tried slowing him down by pelting snowballs at his face, but even that couldn’t stop Liam from letting Zayn go. Eventually they grew tired and stopped chasing after them. Liam put Zayn down carefully, his hands wavering on the small of Zayn’s back. Despite the layers of clothing it felt like Liam was touching his bare skin and he shivered slightly. It could’ve just been the cold, he thought, but he liked the idea of Liam’s touch making him feel that way. 

“You two are the worst,” Doniya said before lying down on the snow and Waliyha following suit. 

“Or maybe you’re just too slow,” Zayn retorted back. 

Waliyha just shook her head while Doniya rolled her eyes. Zayn was about to join them when Safaa interrupted. 

“I’m gonna build a snowman,” she declared, and Zayn could tell that it was her way of asking someone to join her. He was hoping to relax for a bit despite having done little to no physical activity, but felt bad for leaving her to do it alone. 

Liam noticed Zayn’s eyes flicker between his sisters. “I can help her. Go and lie down.” 

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” Zayn smiled, feeling Liam’s warm breath on him. He walked over to his sisters and rested on the snow, closing his eyes as the sun beat down on his face. 

He listened as Liam and Safaa chatted while building the snowman. She asked him about work and music and he showed interest in her friends and school. They got on the topic of baking to which Safaa listed all the desserts she could make and Liam happily listened. It made Zayn’s heart soar seeing them interact, how kind and gentle he was with her. Part of him wanted to tell Safaa to not get too attached, because what would happen after the week was up and they were back to being just coworkers? He wiped the thought from his brain and tried to think about something else. 

“That’s some boyfriend you got there,” Waliyha said, causing Zayn to open his eyes and look towards her. 

“What do ya mean?” 

“He’s sweet. He clearly likes Safaa and he’s nice to the rest of us. No doubt attractive, I’ve seen his muscles.” 

Zayn grabbed a bit of snow and chucked it at her. 

“I’m just saying! He’s your type.” 

Zayn narrowed his eyes; there was no way she’d finished speaking. 

“What’s the catch?” she added with a smug face. 

_There it was._ Liam was, in fact, exactly his type. The only catch was Liam didn’t know that. 

“No catch. I just have an amazing boyfriend.” He stuck his tongue out and she rolled their eyes.

“We’ll see,” Waliyha added. 

Zayn didn’t want to hear the rest of the conversation, so he got up and made his way over to Liam. They were almost done with the snowman; only the head and facial features were left. 

“It looks good,” he said, prompting a smile from Liam. 

“I know!” Safaa exclaimed as she started on the last part. 

“Wanna help?” Liam asked. 

Zayn nodded and started packing the snow into a ball, Liam and Safaa joining him. 

“So I heard you and your sisters talking about me,” Liam said. 

_Shit._ “Oh, yeah…”

“Nice to know I’m an amazing boyfriend. And your type.” 

“I...uh,” was all Zayn could make out. But Liam was already back to working with Safaa to roll the snow. 

Zayn gulped, his eyes immediately going to the ground. He returned to helping them, trying to calm himself. They finished soon after, Safaa adding sticks to the middle part for arms. 

“It’s got nice shoulders,” Liam said, smirking at Zayn. 

His eyes widened and his face got slightly red. 

“What?” Safaa said, before walking off confused. 

“Reminds me of someone, huh?” Liam said, shoving Zayn gently. 

Zayn could barely move. _Is this what the next few days were gonna entail?_

* * *

The second they arrived home Zayn collapsed onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, his snow trousers and socks wet from being outside. His mom had told everyone that they were going to be eating at 8 again, so he had a few hours to kill. He considered seeing what Liam was up to, but he’d said he was tired on the walk back and going to take a nap. Zayn laid there for a bit before changing into more comfortable clothes and calling Louis. 

“Hey what’s up?” 

“Nothing. Just thought I’d call you.”

“Mmhm. How’s the trip going loverboy?” 

_Here we go._ “Fine Louis, thanks.”

“I want details, bro. What have you and Mr. Payne been up to?” 

“Uh, yesterday we had dinner with my family and today we went to the park cause it snowed.” 

“Ooooh, did you two build a snowman together?”

Zayn knew if he told Louis he’d never let him live it down. Apparently his silence was enough though. 

“For fuck's sake, you two totally did. What are you gonna do next, name it after your future kid? Zayn what are you doing, you gotta tell this guy you like him.” 

“It’s not that easy mate, we're coworkers. And while he’s stuck at my house for another three days? Absolutely not.” 

“So what’s your plan then? Pretend till the end of the week and then just go back to being friends? You don’t want that.” 

Zayn sighed. He most definitely didn’t. He’d liked Liam for months now, and this trip only solidified that. He had no desire to remain friends after. They could at least _try_ the whole dating thing. It was working out just fine when they were pretending, who said it couldn’t be the real thing?

“Hello? Zayn?”

“Yeah, what?” 

“Man you got it bad, you keep spacing out on me.” 

“Lou…”

“Listen to me, you _can’t_ blow this. Based on what you’ve told me this guy sounds perfect for you, and he clearly makes you happy. So don’t fuck it up.” 

“Wow, thanks.” 

“Just telling you the truth! Keep me updated, k? The fact that he not only came there but is being this involved means he no doubt likes you, so work with that. Be yourself, dude, it’ll be fine.” 

“Yeah, alright. Thank you, really.”

“No problem. I’m expecting at least one message every day. Talk soon, ya?” 

“Yup. Bye Lou.” 

“See ya.” 

Zayn hung up and laid back on his bed again. It wasn’t even 5 p.m., so he had another three hours. He got his sketchbook and earbuds out, pressing shuffle on his most recent playlist and returning to a drawing he’d started a few weeks ago. 

Zayn got lost in his art, fleshing out the piece and even beginning a second one. It wasn’t until he heard a knock on the door that he looked at the clock and realized almost two hours had passed. He took his earbuds out and put the notebook down. It couldn’t have been his parents or sisters, they never knock. He straightened up a bit, almost positive it was Liam. 

“Come in,” he called. 

The door opened and there he was. “Hey. Your mom’s back from the store and I think she’s gonna start cooking soon. I wasn’t sure if I should help? I don’t know if that’s like a thing, but…” Zayn smiled, endeared at how considerate Liam was. 

“Honestly she’ll probably just shoo you away but you can try. I’ll come with, let me just put this away.” 

“What were you up to?” 

“Uh just working on a drawing.”

“Oh, right! I remember you mentioning you do art, that’s great.”

“Thanks.” Liam kept looking at him, and Zayn could tell he was intrigued. _Should I show him?_ He didn’t want to come off as cocky, and he was no doubt scared of what Liam would say, but there was a part of him that wondered what Liam would think. 

“Did you wanna see?” 

Liam nodded and came forward. Zayn handed him the book, immediately twiddling with his thumbs to keep him distracted. He wasn’t sure if he should look at Liam while he analyzed the drawing, so he let his eyes wander around the room to distract himself.

Liam studied it carefully and Zayn twitched his eyes back every few seconds, noticing how he looked at it so intensely. He even ran his hands along some parts, squinting at details Zayn didn’t think anyone would notice. His heart was close to bursting if Liam didn’t speak up soon. 

“Zayn this is fantastic. I love how smooth and precise the lines are. And it's incredibly detailed. It takes a really good eye for that. Amazing work. Is there more?”

Zayn was too overwhelmed to speak; he looked up at Liam, his mouth slightly agape until it eventually twitched into a smile. Only a few people had seen his art before, and he most definitely hadn’t been expecting that kind of reaction. It had always been more of a hobby, and despite Louis repeatedly telling him how good he was and how he should at the very least _consider_ selling some of it, he’d never really internalized any of that. It felt nice to hear someone not only appreciate his work but point out specific parts; he could tell Liam had really taken the time to look it over and he was grateful. 

“Uh, Zayn? Didn’t mean to push. You don’t have to show me, we can go help your mom.” 

“Oh, sorry, um. No, I can show you more. Like I said, my mom probably wouldn’t even let you near the food cause you’re a guest and what not. Wanna sit?” He said, pointing towards his bed. 

“Sure.” 

They settled onto Zayn’s bed and he flipped back to the first page. 

“Most of these are just random things, you don’t have to go through every one.”

“Nah, I want to,” he said, starting to look over them. 

As he flipped through, Liam made sure to point out at least one thing he liked in each which made Zayn’s heart flutter. He noticed how close they were sitting, knees touching and arms grazing against one another’s. At one point Liam even shifted so their heads were almost resting against each other’s, and Zayn had to contain himself so he didn’t let out a giggle. He could practically feel Liam’s breath on his neck, his lips just inches away and eyelashes batting every few seconds. He almost moved closer, but they were practically on top of each other and he wasn’t even sure what’d he do if he did. Instead he turned his attention back to the book, Liam still staring at the sketches and running his hands over the pages as if the drawings were jumping out at him. 

“I think this is my favorite,” he said, showing Zayn his sketch of angel wings. “They’re wicked, strong but delicate.”

“Oh, I love that one too.” 

Liam looked up at him, his cheeks slightly pink and his smile warm. He lifted his thumb and caressed Zayn’s cheek. “You got an eyelash there,” he said, sweeping it away. 

“Thanks,” Zayn whispered, too stunned to say anything else. All of a sudden they heard shouting from the kitchen and turned their attention to the door. 

“Boys! Dinner’s ready,” Tricia called from downstairs.

Liam looked back at Zayn, that same smile still on his face. 

“We should probably go,” Zayn said softly, not wanting to, but knowing if they didn’t his mom would scream at them again. 

“Sure,” Liam said, his grin widening. 

Both of them got up slowly and made their way downstairs, their arms bumping against one another’s because of how close they were. Zayn kept wanting to giggle, and suppressing it only made a smile spread across his face. Liam noticed and shoved him on purpose this time, making Zayn look away with the smile still covering his face. 

“Finally! Everything’s ready so help yourselves,” Tricia said. 

Liam nodded, eyeing the myriad of food on the table. He reached for the chicken curry, pulao, and a few kebabs before making his way into the dining room. Everyone followed suit, grabbing their plates and loading them up until not even an inch of the tupperware could be seen. Liam sat next to Zayn again, even scooting his chair a bit closer. No one seemed to notice except Zayn, who could only tell because their elbows were touching at some points and that most definitely wasn’t the case the night before. 

Liam leaned in to him before the rest of the family arrived, whispering in his ear: “Is this fine?” 

Zayn turned to him and nodded, shifting his eyes down and smiling. Liam nodded and went back to eating. 

“So what were you boys up to?” Yaser asked, settling into his seat. 

“Zayn was showing me some of his art. He’s fantastic, I loved all of the sketches.”

“Ah yes. Zayn’s always drawing or writing away. We’re so proud of him.” 

Zayn’s face got soft and he tried to hide it by turning his attention to his food. 

“Did you show him the angel Zaynie? That’s my favorite,” Safaa said. 

“That’s my favorite too! Really great work darling.” 

Zayn’s gaze turned to Liam; he felt like his heart was going to burst; he loved pet names so much. He figured he’d try using one too. 

“Thanks babe.” 

As expected Waliyha and Doniya chuckled; usually Zayn would shoot them a glare but he was too happy to care. He just kept looking at Liam, relishing the moment. 

“Just a reminder we’re leaving for the festival at 11 a.m. tomorrow, so be ready!” Tricia said. 

“Yeah yeah. I’ll be up mum, don’t worry,” Zayn responded, knowing it was directed at him.

Tricia reached over and ruffled Zayn’s hair, making him laugh. 

“The food’s amazing by the way. You’re a wonderful cook,” Liam said. 

“Oh, thank you, Liam. I’m so glad you like it.” 

Waliyha rolled her eyes. “Suck up,” she said underneath her breath. 

Zayn kicked her under the table and she kicked him back. 

“Kids! Stop it. Waliyha if you don’t like my food you don’t have to eat it,” Tricia said. 

“I didn’t mean it like that…” 

“I sure hope not.” 

She turned to Zayn and shot him a glare, eliciting a laugh from him.

“Why don’t you tell us about your time at the park?” Tricia asked. 

Safaa began with the snowball fight, and that got the rest of them talking for a while. It wasn’t until 9:30 pm that Tricia realized they hadn’t even had dessert yet. 

“Oh gosh I hope we have time for monopoly. Doniya would you help me with the sweets? I bought gulab jamun,” Tricia said.

“Sure. Anyone want chai?” Doniya asked. 

“Yes, please,” Yaser said, followed by agreement from Zayn. 

Liam turned to him, confused. “What’s chai?” he whispered, hoping no one would hear. 

“It’s tea dear,” Tricia said. 

“Oh, I’ll have some then thank you.” 

“Zayn have you never made your boyfriend chai before?” Waliyha said, shocked. 

“Uh—” 

“I’m more of a coffee person. Hot chocolate in the winter,” Liam cut in, saving him. 

“Oh, well we have hot chocolate if you’d like,” Tricia said, already going to get it. 

“Chai is fine! Really! I’d like to try it, actually.” 

Zayn relaxed, and Tricia nodded as she and Doniya went into the kitchen. 

Liam looked to Zayn, blushing and slightly panicked. Zayn bumped his elbow and mouthed “it’s ok”, calming Liam down. 

The girls returned a few minutes later, putting the plate down and handing everyone their drinks. Liam took a sip from the mug, and smiled as the warmth and slight sweetness hit his tongue. 

“Wicked! That’s really good. Thank you.” 

Tricia grinned and sat down, scooping a gulab jamun onto her plate. Everyone followed suit, and within fifteen minutes the plate and everyone’s mugs were empty. 

“Shall we play monopoly?” Yaser asked. 

Tricia checked the time: 9:52 pm. 

“We’ll do one quick game,” she said, looking at everyone. 

Zayn shook his head. There was no such thing as a _quick_ monopoly game. Everyone put their drinks and plates away and went into the living room where Doniya set up the board. 

“How about we do teams? The girls can be on one, Liam and Zayn, and me and your mom,” Yaser suggested.

“Sounds good. Still gonna beat you guys,” Zayn said, grabbing his piece and beginning to count the money. 

They played till 11 p.m., when Zayn and Liam had been in the lead for 20 minutes and Waliyha started getting pissy. 

“They have to be cheating. It’s never been this bad!” 

Zayn just cackled as he kept collecting money. 

“Alright alright. It’s getting late, let's call it a night. Zayn, Liam, congrats,” Tricia said. 

“Thanks mum.” Zayn leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll clean up, you guys go to bed.” 

Tricia nodded and made her way up the stairs followed by Yaser. 

“That was so much fun. I didn’t think your family would get so competitive,” Liam said. 

“Oh yeah, we love monopoly. Games in general are kind of our thing.” 

“Nice.” 

They packed the box up and put it back with the rest of them. 

“I’ll see you in the morning?” Liam asked. 

“Yeah, for sure.” 

“Alright, hope you sleep well. Night.”

“You too Liam. Night.” 

* * *

“So Liam have you been ice skating before?” Tricia asked as they settled into their seats in the car. It was 11:15 a.m.; Zayn had taken too long in the shower making everyone late. “Hurry up!” Waliyha had shouted from outside the bathroom. 

Liam turned to Tricia. “I’ve been a few times but it’s been a while. I’m excited to get back into it! Zaynie said you guys go every year so hopefully he can give me some pointers.” Liam turned to Zayn and grinned at him with his teeth, making Zayn smile too. 

“Yeah, I’ll help you.” Zayn said. 

“Maybe he can hold your hand,” Waliyha said smugly. 

Zayn shot her a look, but Liam just chuckled and moved his hand to rest it on Zayn’s knee. Zayn stared at it for a second and his smile only grew. 

“So after ice skating we’ll go on the rides like usual. And they have really great hot chocolate, Liam!” Tricia said. 

His face lit up, making Zayn’s eyes crinkle out of affection. 

“You’re gonna love it,” she confirmed. 

Tricia turned back around and Yaser turned the radio on, everyone resting back and getting comfortable for the ride. 

Liam put his earbuds in and instinctively handed one to Zayn who gladly accepted. They listened to the rest of The Weeknd’s album, Zayn humming along under his breath. He didn’t realize they’d arrived at the festival until the album started back over. 

Yaser parked the car and they made their way to the entrance, buying their tickets and heading to the ice rink. 

“You girls ready?” Yaser asked, smiling down at them. They nodded and walked onto the ice, everyone side by side. Liam stayed back, his palms starting to sweat. 

“Liam, you alright?” 

“Yeah yeah. I’m just a little nervous, to be honest. I haven’t done this in years and I really wanna impress your parents.” 

Zayn bit his lip. _I really wanna impress your parents._ He repeated it over and over in his head, his heart fluttering at how much of an effort Liam was making. 

“Relax, dude. They’re just happy you came, they don’t care if you’re bad. Just stay close to me. You can hold onto my arm if you need to. It’ll be fine.”

Liam shifted forward, still unsure. 

“Hey. You trust me, right?”

Liam nodded. 

“Then come on. I won’t let go, I promise.” 

Liam’s shoulders relaxed and he came forward. Zayn stepped onto the ice and Liam followed him, immediately starting to wobble. He wrapped his hand around Zayn’s arm and Zayn steadied him, slowly moving his feet so they glided forward. Liam did the same and they began covering ground. 

“You ok?” 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Liam was staring down at his feet and following his skates’ every move. 

“Might help if you look up? So you know where you’re going?” 

Liam shook his head. “I trust you to direct me. I’ll just focus on the skating part.” 

Zayn chuckled. “Alright then.” 

It took them almost fifteen minutes before they made it around the rink once. 

“Sorry I’m so slow.” 

“It’s ok, Liam, really. I’m in no rush.” 

“Maybe we should do what Safaa said? Uh, give me your hand, ya?”

Zayn’s face twisted into a puzzled expression. _What did he say?_

“Zayn?”

He turned to Liam, noticing his also confused face. 

“Do you mind if I hold your hand? To help me balance?” Liam asked. 

“Oh yeah, of course.” This was the second time Zayn had thought he’d said something else. 

Liam unwrapped his arm and grabbed onto Zayn’s hand, warming Zayn’s almost numb fingers. 

They started back up again, travelling quicker than before. Every so often, Liam would squeeze Zayn’s hand when he felt himself starting to fall, and Zayn would smile to himself every time. They made it an hour before both decided they needed a break. 

“Damn your family’s good,” Liam said, looking up at Safaa spinning in circles while Doniya cheered her on. 

“We just have a lot of experience,” Zayn said, joining Liam on the bench. 

“Thanks again for inviting me.” 

“Yeah ‘course. Weren’t gonna just leave you at home.”

Liam laughed. “That’s true.” 

“Are you liking it? 

“Oh, definitely. It’s a bit annoying cuz I’m not that fast, but. It’s nice, doing it with you.” 

Zayn nodded and his lips curled into a grin. Liam smiled back, his face slightly red. Zayn wondered if that was from the cold or blushing. Just then, Yaser appeared from the rink. 

“You boys wanna get lunch now? We can skate some more after.” 

Liam looked to Zayn and nodded. 

“Yeah, sure,” Zayn said for the both of them. 

“Ok great. The girls will join us in a sec but we can wait in line.” 

They got up from the bench and made their way over to the concession area. 

“So, Liam, how do you like skating?” Yaser asked as he checked out the menu. 

“Oh, it’s nice. Zayn’s been a great partner letting me hold his hand,” he said, blushing. 

“What a gentleman my boy’s always been!” 

Zayn rolled his eyes, smacking Yaser playfully. 

“Do you boys know what you’re getting?” 

Zayn skimmed the menu. 

“Yeah I’ll have a toastie,” he said, followed by agreement from Liam. 

“And a hot chocolate please,” Liam said, making Yaser smile. 

“Great! Why don’t you get us a table and I’ll order.” 

“Thanks!” Liam said before walking away with Zayn. 

They found a table in the corner and Zayn slid into one side, Liam joining him. A few minutes later Zayn saw his mom and sisters coming out of the rink and waved them over. 

“So how was the skating boys?” Tricia asked, Doniya and Waliyha on either side of her while Safaa sat next to Liam. 

“Great! You all were looking amazing out there. I saw those spins, Safaa, super impressive,” Liam said. 

“Oh thank you!” she said, her face lighting up. 

“I see you decided to hold hands,” Waliyha said with a big grin on her face. 

If she was sitting next to him Zayn would’ve kicked her under the table; instead, he just shot her a look. 

“We did! It definitely helped me keep balance. Although Zayn’s hands are pretty cold, even with the gloves…” He gave Zayn a gentle shove and laughed, his eyes crinkling. Zayn giggled, more because of how adorable Liam looked than what he’d said. 

“How cute,” Doniya said, making Zayn shove her with his skate. 

“I think our food is ready! I’m gonna go help your dad,” Tricia said before getting up. 

The five of them sat in silence at the table, no one knowing what to say. Zayn had a feeling his sisters had a few questions for them but he just hoped they would stay silent. 

“So the date’s going well?” Waliyha said with a smug face. 

“It’s not a date sis we’re here as a family,” Zayn responded, a little too harshly. 

“Sure sure. I got a few pics of you two together, I’ll be sure to send them later.” 

Waliyha winked at Zayn and he could’ve pounced on her right there. 

“Thanks, Waliyha!” Liam said, turning to Zayn with a smile. “I could use a new lockscreen of us.” 

Zayn lit up at this, making Waliyha groan as they gazed at one another. Not a minute later their parents arrived back with the food. 

“Ok, here we are.” Yaser passed the food out and everyone said thanks and dug in. 

After a few minutes of eating Tricia spoke up. “So I think we should go over our plans for the rest of the week. I think the girls and I are gonna skate some more after. Boys you’re free to do whatever. Just remember we’re leaving at 6 p.m. And then tomorrow we’ll go to the mall.” 

“What time would that be, darling? I was hoping to take Liam boxing,” Yaser said between bites. 

“Probably lunch time so you two can go later in the day?”

“Sounds good. Does that work for you, Liam?”

“Yeah! Can’t wait, thanks again.”

Yaser patted him on the back and went back to eating. 

“So Liam, why don’t you tell us more about work? How did you get into songwriting?” Tricia asked, turning to him. 

“Well I’ve always loved writing and music. I found myself gravitating towards performing arts from a young age and my parents supported me following through with it in uni. I spent a while networking and it was my friend who connected me with Zayn and helped me land this job.”

“That’s wonderful! Do you sing as well? 

“Yeah! I’d love to pursue it too. I have a decent amount of songs I could work with so we’ll see.”

“That’s very impressive, dear.” 

Liam smiled, his cheeks turning a rosy pink. Zayn noticed how fondly Tricia looked at him, how she kept eye contact and showed genuine interest in what he was saying. He couldn’t help but be grateful that his parents liked Liam, whether he was his boyfriend or not. 

“Thank you so much,” Liam replied, snapping Zayn back to reality. 

“Does that mean you’re not gonna work with Zayn anymore? If you start making your own music?” Safaa asked, staring back at him. 

Zayn’s eyes slightly widened; he hadn’t known Liam was considering doing individual work, much less how that could mean not seeing him everyday. But Liam chimed in before he could start panicking. 

“Oh, definitely not. I’ve barely thought about it, just something at the back of my mind. And even if I did, I’d ask Zayn to work with me, continue helping me write songs if he’s interested.” 

All heads turned to Zayn, and his eyes only grew. He gulped, turning to Liam. 

“Um, yeah. That would be cool.”

Liam’s face turned soft, and he snuggled closer to Zayn, resting his hand on Zayn’s thigh. Zayn tried to casually look down, aware of the fact that everyone was staring at him and he was being undoubtedly obvious. But he didn’t care, every touch from Liam made his heart flutter and he needed to look to make sure it was real. He noted how Liam’s fingers almost curled around his knee, and how his hand even squeezed at it, making Zayn look up. Liam giggled quietly under his breath, making Zayn smile too. 

“Can you do that somewhere else?” Waliyha said, groaning as Zayn and Liam continued to stare at one another. 

“Let them be, honey. If everyone’s done eating we can go back to skating,” Tricia said, noting all of the empty wrappers on the table. 

“Yes, please.” Doniya stood up from the table, grabbing her trash. 

“Do you wanna skate again, or…” Zayn asked, still not breaking eye contact. 

“Yeah, sure.” Liam got up and Zayn followed him, making their way back to the rink. 

“Have fun, boys! Remember we’ll leave around 6 p.m.,” Yaser called back. 

Zayn nodded and they walked back onto the ice, Liam not even asking to hold Zayn’s hand this time. They started back up, travelling at their fastest pace now that Liam was used to the movement but still slower than most people. Zayn didn’t mind as long as it meant being with Liam, laughing every time he went too fast and almost fell, smiling at how Liam would cheer himself on under his breath and congratulate himself when he went a while without slipping up. Zayn loved how kind he was, to others _and_ himself. Not only was he full of love and joy, but he worked to spread it and the happiness was no doubt infectious. Zayn loved how much better his mood was when Liam was around. 

Before long it was 3:30 p.m. and both of them decided they were done for the day. They got their skates off and returned them to the booth. 

“So, what else is there to do?” Liam asked. 

“Well they have a couple of rides. There’s the swing one and bumper cars?” 

“Oh, I love bumper cars. Let’s do that.” 

Zayn led the way and they got in line. Despite the fact that Liam had let go of his hand some time ago, he couldn’t help but notice it gravitating towards his every few minutes. He was probably just imagining things but...maybe he wasn’t. 

At first Zayn assumed they would go in separate bumper cars but Liam seemed to think differently. They squished into one, legs tangled in one another’s and their whole bodies touching. 

“Ya ready?” Liam asked, practically buzzing in his seat. 

Zayn nodded and he pressed down on the pedal to get them moving. He was pretty good at maneuvering around other cars, only getting stuck behind a few once. 

“Watch out!” Liam called as a car appeared out of nowhere and Zayn spun the wheel rapidly to avoid hitting it. He barely made it out and Liam decided to take it upon himself to help, grabbing onto the wheels. 

“I think it’s better if we both direct,” he said teasingly, making Zayn give him a look and shove him slightly. They made it around the track a few times, laughing as they shifted side to side when the car jolted from being hit or got stuck in a cluster of cars. After five minutes the cars came to a stop and everyone was forced to get up. 

“We’ll go again, ya?” Liam asked.

“Sure.” 

They got back in line, Liam’s feet not even an inch away from Zayn’s. Zayn liked how excited Liam was, how happy he got over something so small; it made Zayn swoon. 

This time they sat in separate cars upon Zayn’s request. “That way you can drive the car yourself,” Zayn joked, prompting a chuckle and light smack on the chest from Liam. 

Zayn made it his goal to hit Liam as many times as possible, which Liam quickly caught on to as his car kept getting kicked around. 

“I see you, Malik,” he called out. 

“No clue what you’re talking about Liam,” Zayn shot back. 

As Zayn was nearing a corner Liam changed course and hit him, turning Zayn’s car so it was facing the wall and he couldn’t get anywhere.

“Hey!”

“Gonna have to keep better watch,” Liam said as he drove off. 

Zayn tried reversing his car but there was no hope; he was stuck. Luckily the round ended shortly after and he was able to get out. Zayn caught up with Liam and they immediately went back in line, joking about the previous round. 

This went on for another hour, switching between sharing cars and driving separate ones. Liam went from trying to keep them from hitting other cars to leading them into chaos, forcing Zayn to try and save them at the last second every time. It always got him laughing though; knowing Liam was having fun was enough to make him smile. 

Eventually they got a bit tired of it and decided to venture onto the other rides. Zayn walked onto the carousel which was pretty empty and sat on one of the horses. Liam got onto the platform and Zayn noticed him eyeing the back of the horse as if he wanted to sit behind him. He ended up choosing the animal next to Zayn’s though. 

“So how are you liking the festival?” Zayn asked. 

“It’s amazing. I’ve heard about this one before but I’ve never been able to go so I’m glad I was able to. Especially with you,” he added, making Zayn swoon. 

The ride started moving, causing the lights to shine even brighter and Liam’s face to light up. Zayn noticed how he stared up at the different colors with a small grin on his face, making Zayn go soft. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask if there’s anything else you wanted to do in Bradford? I know we only have one more day left but…” 

“I don’t think so! I really just wanted to spend time with you and get to know the family. Everything else has been extra.” 

Zayn beamed at this, crinkles forming around his eyes. Liam blushed and looked away, feeling like he’d given too much away. Zayn just stared at him, enamored by how beautiful Liam looked under the lights. He would’ve reached over and kissed him on the forehead if he could have. The ride ended shortly after and they noticed a variety of game booths nearby. Liam seemed particularly interested in the tossing one. 

“Fancy a challenge?” He said, a smirk on his face. 

“Alright,” Zayn responded, a suspicious look in his eyes. 

They walked over and handed the booth attendee their tickets. Already Zayn could tell this wasn’t Liam’s first time playing as his first ring landed on the pole. Zayn managed to get two on but not before Liam could score all three. He smiled as the attendee handed him a stuffed rhino. 

“You just wanted to beat me,” Zayn said, shaking his head.

“Or,” Liam began, handing the stuffed animal to Zayn, “I wanted to win this for you.” Liam blushed and Zayn held it carefully, bringing the rhino to his chest and squeezing it slightly. 

“Oh. Thank you.” 

Liam beamed as they walked to the swingset a few meters away. They sat in seats next to one another and were quickly lifted off the ground, Zayn smiling as he stared down at the crowd. He felt freer than ever as the ride picked up and the wind slapped against his face. He couldn’t help but laugh, his hair blowing in different directions. 

“Hey, Zayn!” 

He turned his head and noticed Liam reaching his hand out. Zayn smiled and grabbed on as they spun around in circles, feeling nothing but glee. 

Both boys laughed, practically screaming as the ride sped up. Their hands started to slip so they were only holding on by their fingers, but neither one ever let go. Zayn snuck glances at Liam every now and then, his heart fluttering at the sight of Liam’s toothy grin. 

As the ride slowed down they were able to shift closer together, their hands instinctively moving together so they weren’t just connected by the touch of their fingers but palm in palm. Once the ride came to a stop though, Zayn could feel Liam’s hand slipping. He decided to go first and release his hand, trying to sneak a look at Liam who might’ve been disappointed for a second but hid it quickly. Zayn sighed but covered his sadness too and picked up his stuffed animal. 

“Hey, what time is it? We have to finish at 6 right?” 

“Oh, yeah.” Zayn checked his phone and saw it was 5:45 pm. He hadn’t realized how fast time had gone by. 

“We should start heading to the entrance.” Liam nodded and they made their way back, moving closer together but neither one saying anything. Zayn’s family was already there waiting for them when they arrived. 

“So how was it, boys? Did you enjoy?” Tricia asked. 

“Oh, it was amazing! Thank you for bringing me,” Liam said. 

“No need to thank me dear, we’re so glad you came.”

“Zayn, did you make a little friend today?” Waliyha said, smirking. 

Zayn shoved her and rolled his eyes. “Fuck off.” 

He looked to the side and noticed Liam’s slight frown. _Shit._ He knew what he was about to say would only make things worse. 

“Actually, Liam won it for me.” 

The three girls broke into giggles and Zayn just shook his head. He felt something on his hand and noticed Liam gently graze it with his fingers. It felt different than before, more intimate. He gave Liam a soft smile and twirled his fingers for a second, making Liam laugh under his breath. 

They got into the car soon after and everyone was so tired that no one spoke. Yaser turned the radio on again and made the volume low so there was just a quiet hum in the background. Zayn laid back, the rhino pressed close to him, and closed his eyes as the music filled his ears. 

* * *

Zayn awoke to bright lights and knew he’d entered the driveway. 

“There’s leftovers if you two are hungry. We had some more food back at the festival so not sure the girls or Yaser and I will be eating.” 

Zayn nodded and groggily made his way inside the house. 

“I’m gonna lie down for a bit, but maybe we can eat at 8:30?” Zayn asked. 

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you down in the kitchen,” Liam responded. 

They went to their separate rooms and Zayn changed into more comfortable clothes, going to text Louis right after. 

_Zayn: Dude we held hands!!!!!_

_Louis: Fuck yeah!!!!!!! Nice one mate. Now you just gotta give him a little kiss on the lips to really drive it home._

_Zayn:_ 🙄 _Idk dude. It was mostly when we were ice skating so he didn’t lose balance. I mean he did reach out on his own after but…_

_Louis: ZAYN!!!! Stop being so oblivious Liam likes you. You gotta make your move soon._

_Zayn: We’ll see. I think I need to assess things more. We’re gonna have dinner later, I'll see how that goes._

_Louis: Alright man. Let me know after! I’m expecting more updates._

_Zayn: Will do. Thanks for listening :)_

_Louis: Anytime bro_

Zayn snuggled under the covers and put his earbuds in, pressing play on one of his love playlists and letting the warmth of the blankets overwhelm him. He made it through half of the songs before realizing an hour had passed and it was almost time to meet Liam. He got out of bed and made his way downstairs. Liam was already there drinking from a mug. 

“Your mom insisted on making me her hot chocolate. She wanted to see how it compared to the festival’s,” Liam said.

“Course she did. How is it?”

“Good! She made it on the stove with cocoa and all.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s mum for you. I’ll get the leftovers out.” 

Liam got up to help him, standing uncomfortably close so Zayn had to squeeze past him to put the dishes on the table. 

“So you and my dad are going boxing tomorrow right?” Zayn asked. 

“Yeah! I‘m super excited, he seems great.” 

“He’s the best. I’ve been to the gym before and it’s fun, the people are nice.” 

“You could join us if you want?” 

“Think I’d rather laze around the house. Besides, uh, it seems like he wanted to get to know you, so…”

“Gotcha! I’ll see you after then.”

“Yeah.” 

Zayn placed the pots on the stove to heat them up and grabbed some juice from the fridge. Within ten minutes everything was ready and the two of them began eating. 

“Gosh your mom’s an amazing cook. I swear this is even better than last night.” 

“Thanks. I’ll tell her, she’ll appreciate it. She always gets stressed when guests come over.” 

“Well she shouldn’t. I love everything she’s made so far.” 

Zayn smiled, biting into a piece of his chicken. 

“I, um, also wanted to thank you for helping me fit right in. And your family, too. Everyone’s made me feel so welcome and I really appreciate it.”

“Course, Liam,” Zayn said, sensing he had more to say. 

“I feel really...safe, with you. Free.” Liam cleared his throat. “I didn’t have that, with my ex-boyfriend. I felt like I had to hide myself, especially with his family. So it’s really nice coming here and having everyone be so accepting.” 

Zayn nodded, slightly taken aback. He hadn’t been expecting that and didn’t realize Liam being here meant just as much to him as it did to Zayn, maybe even more. He reached across the table, slowly, and wrapped his pointer finger around Liam’s pinky. Liam looked up and smiled, his cheeks pink. Zayn wanted to hold his hand but he heard footsteps and looked up to find Doniya walking in. He resisted the urge to pull away despite wanting to; it wasn’t that he felt embarrassed, because he didn’t. But he didn’t want his family getting used to this, or Liam. Because in two days they’d be leaving and everything would be back to normal and their hands would never meet each other’s again. 

“Don’t let me interrupt,” Doniya said, and Zayn could tell she was being genuine. He turned back to Liam who hadn’t budged and was letting their fingers remain connected. He smiled and both of them went back to eating, looking up every few seconds to laugh or just look at the other. 

Doniya left soon after and they went back to talking, this time discussing movies and comic books and everything in between. Zayn felt a lightness to him, like once again his anxieties had left him. Despite the constant worry of getting too close to Liam or revealing too much, he felt relaxed around him. Like he could breathe. Knowing Liam felt the same meant more than he could describe. 

Before long it was 11 p.m. and both boys were getting sleepy. They yawned every few minutes, trying to keep the conversation going but knowing they would be heading up soon. 

“Think we should go now. I can feel my eyes falling shut,” Liam said. 

“Yeah same. Thanks for this. I had fun.” 

Liam nodded and a warmth spread to his face, making Zayn’s heart soar. They put their plates in the sink and returned the dishes to the fridge. 

“Hope you sleep well, Zayn.” 

“Thanks Liam. You too.” 

He waited by the door, staring as Zayn cleaned up the area. Zayn could feel his eyes on him but didn’t say anything. Eventually Liam left and Zayn couldn’t help but wonder what he’d been thinking, what he might’ve wanted to say. 

* * *

Zayn woke up early the next morning. He hadn’t planned for it, nor was he awoken by the sound of his family. Sunlight streamed into the room and he checked his clock to find it was not even 11 a.m. He’d gone to sleep running his conversation with Liam over and over in his head and even now it was still playing back. 

_I feel safe with you. Free._

He’d never been told that before; he didn’t think he was capable of making someone feel that way. 

Zayn grabbed his phone and saw a message from Louis: _So...anything happen last night?? Are you two in loveeeee or what._

Zayn started typing: _It was good. He said he feels safe around me!_ He looked it over, realizing he didn’t want to share that with Louis and started again. _It was great. We had a lot of fun!_ Zayn sighed, knowing it wasn’t specific enough for Louis’ liking. He spent another ten minutes before settling on: _It was nice. He made me laugh a lot and he said something that made me feel good. I think he likes me._ He read it over five times before pressing send and getting out of bed to take a shower. 

It was a little after 11:30 a.m. when he made it downstairs for breakfast. The room was empty except for Yaser who was squinting at his phone. 

“Hey, dad.” 

“Morning, beta! Sleep ok?” 

“Yup. You?”

“Fine. We’re gonna leave for the mall soon so make sure you’re ready.” 

“Sounds good.” 

He grabbed some cereal from the cupboard and sat down to eat. Immediately he heard a ping from his phone and saw a notification from Louis. 

_Sounds awesome man!!! Now you just gotta tell him you do. I’m rooting for you bud._

Zayn grinned; Louis always had his back. 

“What are you smiling at?” Yaser asked, looking up from his phone. 

Zayn bit his lip. “Nothing.” He went back to eating and Yaser gave him a questionable look but turned his gaze back down. Zayn finished soon after and put his bowl in the sink. Just as he turned around to go upstairs to change he was met with someone in gray sweatpants and a light blue t-shirt. 

“Oh! Hey,” Zayn said, looking back at Liam. 

“Hi.” Liam’s voice was slightly rough, probably from just waking up; Zayn smiled at how soft he looked. His hair was a bit messy and his cheeks rosy. Zayn would’ve kissed him right there, especially on his cute little nose; he wanted to clutch his face and have Liam bury his head in the crook of his neck. Instead he just stood there staring. 

“I um. Gotta change but I’ll see you soon,” Zayn said. 

“Ok.”

Zayn rushed upstairs, his cheeks slightly burning. He had until tomorrow to somehow indicate to Liam that he liked him. He tried to think of something as he changed but nothing came to mind. How was he going to tell the guy who’s been pretending to be his boyfriend that he wanted them to be real? 

He sighed and tried to distract himself, scrolling through his phone until his mom called him downstairs to leave. One more day, he thought. _One more day._

____________

“So the girls and I are going to stick together. You boys are free to do whatever, just remember we have to leave by 4 p.m. so Yaser and Liam can go boxing,” Tricia said as they drove to the mall. 

Zayn had no idea what he was going to spend his time doing. He didn’t need anything; he figured he’d just ask Liam if he wanted to go somewhere and if not they’d just walk around. Once they arrived the girls immediately walked off and Yaser said he was going to a bookstore. 

Zayn looked to Liam; “Did you need to buy anything?” 

“I need some winter clothes. Mind coming with me?” 

“Nah, let’s go.” 

They went inside a store and began looking around. Zayn had never been there before, but immediately liked it. The pieces were fitted and mature and he found himself gravitating towards many. He picked out a pair of gray trousers and a soft forest green sweater and made his way to the dressing room. 

“Zayn?” 

He moved the curtain of the dressing and stepped out to find Liam looking for him. 

“Over here.” 

Liam turned around and his face lit up. 

“Wow. Classy.” 

Zayn smiled and looked at the ground. 

“Thanks.” 

“You like ‘em?” Liam asked. 

“Yeah, a lot actually.”

“The trousers fit great. I think you should get them.”

“Yeah, me too.” He’d checked the price tags and everything was within range of what he could afford. 

“What about you?”

“I found this sweater and a pair of trousers I like. Plus some boots. They’re a bit different for me, but…”

Zayn looked down and noticed the soft black sweater, plaid trousers with a chain belt hanging from the side, and chunky black boots with laces. He smiled. It was definitely different for Liam but he liked them. 

“I think they’re great. Try ‘em on, no harm in that.”

Liam nodded and went into the dressing room. He emerged a few minutes later and Zayn couldn’t help but stare in awe. Liam usually wore jeans and t-shirts to work. He looked more elevated but also...soft? Zayn wanted to cuddle him. 

“So what do you think?”

“Wow...um it looks good. Really good.” 

Liam turned to himself in the mirror, he smiled but seemed a bit uncertain. 

“Seriously. You should buy them. This style suits you.” 

Liam blushed and nodded. He went back into the dressing room and emerged with the three items. 

“Ready?” 

Zayn smiled and they went in line, both satisfied with their purchases. They decided to walk around the rest of the mall and look at things for fun. As they went throughout the second floor Zayn turned a corner and locked eyes with something. _Liam_. He just knew he had to get it for him, it was perfect. Only issue was him and Liam were gonna be spending the rest of the shopping trip together. He whipped out his phone while Liam directed him someplace

_Zayn: Need help I gotta get Liam a gift. Can you take him somewhere?_

_Doniya: It’s the week before Christmas and you’re just getting him a present now? Sad. Where are you?_

_Zayn: Second floor in the tech store. Say something about showing him the big tree or smth._

_Doniya: Got it. Be there soon._

_Zayn: Thanks._

Zayn pretended to look around while he waited for his sister. Liam seemed to be playing a game and he watched as Liam tapped the screen furiously. 

“Liam! Zayn!”

Both boys turned around to find Doniya walking in. 

“Oh hey. What’s up?”  
  
“I was hoping I could steal Liam away for a second. Mum wants to show him the big Christmas tree.” 

“Oh wicked. Zayn mind if I go?” Liam asked. 

“All good. We’ll meet in the food court after?”

“Yeah. See ya!”

Zayn watched as they left, mouthing thank you to Doniya when she turned around to wink at him. He rushed back to the store and purchased the item. He was running on adrenaline so part of him wondered if Liam was even going to like it. Deep down though he knew he would. 

* * *

“How was the Christmas tree?” Zayn asked. 

It was a little past 2 p.m. and Zayn, Doniya, Tricia, and Liam were sitting in the food court. Zayn had stuffed the necklace he’d gotten at the bottom of his bag so Liam didn’t see. 

“Oh, it was ace. The decorations were fantastic, they had a nice red and gold theme.”

“Cool.” 

“How was shopping before? Liam said you boys got some clothes,” Tricia said. 

“Yeah, I picked up a sweater and a pair of trousers.”

“Perfect! You can wear that to dinner tonight.” 

“Dinner?” Zayn asked. 

“I booked us a reservation downtown. Since it’s the last night, I figured we could go somewhere nice.” 

“Oh, alright.” 

“I’ll wear my new clothes too,” Liam said. 

Zayn melted a bit at Liam’s excited grin. They finished soon after and went their separate ways again. “One hour till we leave!” Tricia reminded them before walking off with Doniya. 

“Is there anywhere you wanted to go?” Zayn asked. 

“I’m good with whatever. Let’s just walk around and see what we find.” 

Zayn nodded and they went down the escalator. 

“Oh, I wanted to tell you, um.” Zayn looked up and noticed Liam’s face was slightly red. “We went to this coffee shop and the place said ‘chai tea.’ And I was like I thought it’s just chai and your mum explained how people don’t know chai means tea so they write tea after. I never realized that! Anyway it reminded me of our conversation and I, uh, thought of you. Figured I’d tell you,” Liam finished, looking at the ground. 

Zayn’s heart fluttered and he smiled. _I thought of you_. That was the best thing he could have possibly heard.

“Thanks,” was all he could muster up, and he hoped it was enough. Liam’s grin widened and he got the feeling it was. They spent the last hour back in the technology store playing the game Liam had started before. Zayn was reminded of how competitive he could be, and by the end of it they were almost shouting at one another. Liam won, but he was nice about it and Zayn just laughed; he loved how much fun he could have with Liam. He made him happier than most people. 

Zayn got a text that his family was going to the entrance so they made their way over. 

“How was shopping?” Yaser asked. 

“Good. We got clothes that we're gonna wear tonight.” Zayn said.

“Great. Liam the session starts at 5 so we’ll go home and head out soon after?”

“Yup!”

Yaser nodded and a silence fell over everyone as they drove home. 

* * *

“Have fun, boys!” Tricia called out as Yaser and Liam left the house. She returned to the kitchen to get some chai and then went to watch tv. Safaa had decided she’d wanted to make cookies and had asked Zayn to help her. He was stirring the flour and baking soda while she creamed the butter and sugar. 

“Can you hand me the vanilla?”

He slid it closer to her and added baking powder to his bowl. 

“So how was the mall with your boyfriend?” She asked with a smug grin. 

“Fine, Safaa,” he said a little too angrily. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing. Just a bit tired.”

“You’re always tired, Zayn.” 

He rolled his eyes. She grabbed his bowl and added the dry ingredients to hers, mixing them together. They rolled the dough into balls and placed them on the cookie sheet in silence. 

“You really like him, don’t you?” She asked under her breath.

Zayn froze, taken aback. He turned to look at Safaa only to find her concentrating on the cookies. 

“Yeah. I do,” he said with a sigh.

Again, silence. They went back to working with the dough, Zayn’s mind starting to race again.

“I can finish up here,” Safaa said once all the trays were filled. 

Zayn smiled at her and gave her a quick side hug before going up to his room. He needed to pack and hoped that could serve as a distraction. But everything he did, every movement he made, his mind went back to Liam. How he’d held his hand when they were ice skating, his soft curls that stood up in the mornings, how he’d picked him up at the park. All he could think about was Liam. Liam Liam Liam. Zayn flopped onto his bed and figured he might as well update Louis. 

_Zayn: I’m so fucked Lou how the hell do I tell him? I like him so much and with everything we do I get more and more of a feeling he likes me too. But I don’t know how to approach it. I don’t wanna make things weird._

He went back to packing while he waited for a response. Within 5 minutes his phone went off. 

_Louis: Oi mate. You and Liam have known each for months now. He agreed to come on the trip and has been nothing but nice. He held your hand for fuck's sake! Just sit him down and tell him, you got this. Anyway there’s not even a day left of the trip so worst comes to worst you only gotta deal with it for a little bit. Just do something man!_

He smiled down at his phone. He was going to. Do something, that is. After dinner they’d have a few hours before bed and he would talk to Liam then. Probably. 

He finished packing and got a text from his mom saying the boys were on their way back and they’d be leaving to dinner at 6:45 p.m. It was 6:10 so he had a little bit of time to work on the drawing he’d started earlier in the week. Liam still preoccupied all of his thoughts, but he was able to get a little bit done. Once it hit 6:30, he changed into his new sweater and trousers and went downstairs to wait in the kitchen. 

He scrolled through social media while waiting for everyone. Eventually, Liam walked in and he looked up to find him in the clothes he’d bought earlier that day. He lost his breath for a second, overwhelmed by how stunning Liam looked. 

“You look great,” Liam said.

“Thanks. You too. It looks even better than before.” 

Liam smiled and sat down next to him. His parents arrived less than ten minutes later with the girls following close. 

“I’m liking the new clothes boys,” Yaser said with a grin. 

“Thanks!” they said simultaneously. 

“Let’s get some pictures for the family!” Tricia said excitedly. 

Zayn rolled his eyes, going to stand by the door. Tricia directed his sisters and Liam next to him. At first they just stood in a line, smiling awkwardly as Tricia lifted her phone and snapped photos of them. 

“Oh, move closer. Act like you like each other!” Tricia said. 

Waliyha groaned and everyone shuffled together. 

“Zayn, put your arm around Liam,” Yaser said, smiling. 

Zayn’s eyes grew and he moved his arm so it looked like it was wrapped around Liam despite not actually. _He didn’t want to overstep_. Except then Liam reached out and grabbed onto Zayn’s hand, moving it so it rested on the small of his back. He turned to Zayn with a wink, a slightly embarrassed smile appearing on Zayn’s face. Liam moved his hand so it was clutching onto Zayn’s waist, giving him a soft squeeze. Zayn giggled, turning his gaze back to Liam as Tricia snapped the final picture. 

“Oh, these are wonderful, your cousins will love them,” Tricia said as she went to send them. 

Zayn heard a ping from his phone and opened it to find the pictures had been whatsapped to him. 

“Zayn, forward them to Liam I want him to see,” she said before tucking her phone into her bag. Zayn did so, and Liam lit up as they appeared on his phone shortly after and he took a second to look them over. 

Tricia shooed everyone out of the house and they made their way to the restaurant. The place was cozy and had a fireplace going, candles set at each table adding to the warm ambience. The waitress came over and poured water into each of their glasses. Her eyes flickered between Zayn and Liam and she smiled. Zayn’s heart fluttered at the thought of them being read as a couple. 

They chatted for a bit and ordered soon after. Liam told everyone about how nice the Christmas tree at the mall was and Safaa detailed the clothes she’d bought for an upcoming party. Despite not wanting to get dinner, Zayn actually had a lot of fun. The food was great and he felt so comfortable with Liam and his family, as if that’s how things were supposed to be. Him and Liam shared a dessert and after much prodding from his family Liam spooned a bit of the cake into his mouth. Zayn’s eyes crinkled and he laughed as Liam wiggled closer to him and fed him the piece, wiping the crumbs that got stuck to the corners of his mouth. 

“So cute,” Waliyha joked, and Zayn couldn’t help but agree. 

They arrived home a little before 9 and everyone was still feeling pretty awake. 

“Let’s watch a movie!” Safaa exclaimed the second they entered the house. 

“Oh I’m down for a movie,” Liam said. 

Zayn’s anxiety went up. He was hoping to talk to him but it looked like that plan was down the drain. 

“Yeah, I’ll join,” Waliyha said, Doniya nodding along too. That left only him. 

“Alright, me too.” 

Everyone went upstairs to change and appeared in the family room soon after. Safaa turned the TV on and started scrolling through. Zayn had a feeling a heated discussion about what to watch was going to erupt. He and his sisters could never agree on a film. 

“How about Batman?” Liam suggested after ten minutes. 

Zayn piped up, agreeing immediately. “Yes please.” 

“We’ve seen that so many times,” Doniya said. 

Safaa shoved her. “No, let’s watch it.” 

Doniya groaned and Waliyha just shrugged. Safaa looked at Zayn with a raised eyebrow and smiled. Everyone settled into their seats, Doniya, Safaa, and Waliyha on one couch and Liam and Zayn on another. Zayn grabbed a blanket and handed it to Liam. He was about to get a second one for himself when Liam wrapped the two of them in the one he’d been given and donned a small smile. Zayn smiled back and rested against the couch. 

Zayn noticed how Liam leaned into him, slightly resting on Zayn’s chest and their shoulders touching. He shifted closer so their bodies were pressed against each other and legs entangled like the day before. Liam moved his hand so it rested on his knee but slightly grazed Zayn’s. 

He could feel his sister’s eyes on them, but didn’t say anything. They watched the movie like this, cuddling into one another, Zayn even moving his arm at one point so it wrapped around Liam’s shoulder so Liam could rest his head on him. They finished around 11:30, everyone yawning and stretching as the credits rolled. 

“I’m going to bed. Night,” Safaa said as she went upstairs. Zayn’s sisters followed suit. He didn’t want to move his arm as Liam was nestled into him but he knew they couldn’t stay downstairs. 

“I’m gonna head up too,” Zayn said slowly. 

“Alright.”

They both got up and walked up the stairs, separating once they got to the top. Zayn sighed; tomorrow I guess. 

* * *

It was almost 1 a.m. and Zayn was still up. He’d tried sleeping but he couldn’t get his mind to calm down; he kept trying to figure out what to tell Liam. They’d be leaving around 12 p.m. the next day so he wouldn’t have much time to think about it then. 

All of a sudden a light appeared in the hallway. He waited for it to go back off but it didn’t. He’d assumed he was the only one awake considering how late it was. 

Zayn got up from his bed and creaked his door open to see where it was coming from. He noticed the shuffling of feet under Liam’s door as if he was pacing. Zayn debated with himself, wondering if he should go over and see what Liam was up to. He considered if his parents would hear him. Their rooms were all the way down the hall so...probably not? He stood there, staring at Liam’s door until eventually saying _fuck it_ and making his way over.

He made sure to turn the light off in his room before tiptoeing to Liam’s door, knocking on it quietly so only Liam would hear. He waited until he noticed Liam approaching and moved back. 

Liam opened the door and looked back at Zayn. He didn’t seem too surprised. 

“Oh, hey,” Liam said.

“Hi.” 

They both stood there awkwardly, neither one making eye contact. 

“Can I come in?”

Liam nodded and moved away so Zayn could enter. He shut it softly and turned back to Zayn as if he was waiting for an explanation. Zayn hadn’t actually planned for what he was going to say. Instead he walked over to the bookshelf and pretended to be interested in one of the novels. He traced his fingers on its spine, trying to act like he had a reason to be there despite starting to panic. 

“So...what’s up?” Liam asked. 

Zayn continued staring at the books, unsure if he’d be able to even look at Liam. 

“Oh, you know...haven’t been in here a while, just wanted to take a look at everything.” His face went red. _Really Zayn?_

Liam just chuckled though. “Uh, ok.” 

Zayn heard a creaking sound and turned his head to find Liam sitting on his bed, staring back at him. There was so much he wanted to tell Liam but he didn’t know where to start. He figured he’d say something before Liam pressed on. 

“I’ve been having a lot fun these past few days...with you.”

Liam nodded, waiting for Zayn to continue. 

“Uh…and...” 

Liam could sense he was stressed and got up from the bed. He stood in front of Zayn, trying to establish eye contact but Zayn directing his gaze elsewhere. Liam stepped closer and Zayn felt something brush against his hands. He looked down and Liam’s fingers were reaching out, daring to hold onto his. He turned his eyes back up and found Liam biting his lip. 

Without even thinking Zayn leaned forward and pressed his lips against Liam’s, moving away quickly before Liam had a second to reciprocate. His eyes were big and his mouth wide. He looked back at Liam, expectantly, hoping he would tell him if that was ok. 

A soft smile spread across Liam’s face and he kissed him back, moving his arms so they wrapped around Zayn’s waist. Zayn was breathless; he moved his right hand so it cupped Liam’s face and his thumb was caressing his cheek. At first the kiss was slow and sweet. Zayn moved his other arm so it wrapped around Liam’s shoulders and they were entangled in one another. 

But then Liam moved forward and pushed Zayn against the bookshelf. It made a sound and the books started wobbling, one even slipping onto the floor. Zayn pulled away, staring at the book on the ground. Liam just looked at him and smiles spread across both their faces, laughter threatening to emerge. 

“My parents are sleeping!” Zayn whispered with a grin. 

“Sorry!” Liam said sheepishly. “Can I keep kissing you though?” 

Zayn nodded and Liam resumed where he was before, pressing Zayn against the stack of books while kissing him incessantly. He lifted Zayn’s shirt slightly and moved his right arm under it so his hand was pressed against Zayn’s back. Zayn smiled as Liam’s hand was incredibly warm and felt amazing against his skin. 

Liam pulled apart and travelled down to Zayn’s neck, covering it in lovebites. Zayn let out a satisfied sigh and ran his hand through Liam’s hair. Liam looked up and had a mischievous look in his eyes, similar to the one he’d shown days before when they’d instigated a snowball fight. Before Zayn could say anything, Liam moved his arms behind Zayn’s legs and lifted him up, continuing to press kisses against his neck. Zayn’s heart began to race as Liam carried him over to his bed. He carefully put Zayn down, crawling on top of him and smothering him in kisses. Zayn grabbed onto Liam’s waistband and pulled him closer so Liam was laying directly on top of him. He ruffled Liam’s hair so the curls stood up and laughed as Liam lifted his shirt and pressed kisses against his belly. He didn’t threaten to go lower which Zayn appreciated. Liam made his way back up to Zayn’s lips, sucking on them repeatedly. The bed started to creak and Zayn realized that while his parents weren’t next door to them, they were on the same floor and could no doubt hear _something_. He pulled apart, coming back to reality, and stared back at Liam who was looking down on him confused. 

“Could we, uh, stop for now? Not that I’m not enjoying this but my parents...you know. They might hear us.” 

Liam nodded and crawled off of Zayn so he was now lying next to him. 

“Another time though,” Zayn added with a smile, to which Liam laughed and pressed a soft kiss against his lips.

“Absolutely.” 

Zayn didn’t realize how cold he could be without Liam pressed against his body. He started to shiver a bit, reaching out for the blanket that had moved to the end of the bed. 

“Let me,” Liam said, before lifting the blanket over the both of them. 

Zayn giggled and thanked him. He kissed Liam’s forehead and moved to his lips, returning to gentle and sweet kisses. Liam reciprocated, moving in close and deepening the kiss. 

Eventually both grew tired and decided it would be best to sleep. It was nearly 2 a.m. and Zayn needed to be up early so he could sneak back to his room before his parents were up. He went back to playing with Liam’s hair which made Liam hum. 

“Here, let me cuddle you,” Zayn eventually said, wanting to feel Liam on his chest again. 

Liam blushed and turned around, radiating heat onto Zayn and making him smile. Zayn pressed a kiss on the side of his head and cozied up in the crook of his neck. He kissed his ear a few times which made Liam giggle. Liam reached out for his hand so Zayn could wrap his arm around him. That was exactly how he wanted it to be. 

* * *

Sunlight peeked through the windows, casting a soft light on Liam and Zayn and covering their bodies in warmth. Liam woke up first, naturally, and felt the blanket of heat surrounding them. He felt Zayn against him, their heads resting against one another’s. Their hands were still touching, Zayn’s having moved slightly down but fingers clutching onto his. Liam lifted Zayn’s hand slowly and pressed a gentle kiss against it. He wanted to kiss him all over but thought against it since he was sleeping. Instead he just laid there, cuddling next to Zayn while caressing his arm gently. 

Half an hour later Zayn woke up. He opened his eyes to find Liam’s hair in his face, their hands still connected. He kissed Liam’s head, smiling wide because of how happy he felt. Liam let out a small laugh and bit his lip. _So he’s up already._ Zayn began pressing kisses against his neck and ear incessantly until Liam turned over. 

“Morning,” Zayn said with a grin. 

“Morning.”

Liam leaned forward and kissed Zayn on the lips, smiling into it. Zayn smiled too and clutched onto his face, stroking his cheek while his other fingers twirled around Liam’s curls. 

“Mmhmm.” Liam pulled away, giggling to himself. “I like when you play with my hair,” he said, blushing. 

“I’ll have to remember that then,” Zayn said, before going back to kissing him. 

Liam moved his hand down so it rested on Zayn’s waist. He lifted his shirt and trailed Zayn’s back. Zayn hummed; Liam had done it the night before and it felt just as good. He shifted a bit, allowing Liam to deepen the kiss and signaling for him to move closer. Liam turned so he could comfortably lie on top of him, Zayn wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. Zayn felt the heat of Liam’s body up against his and smiled; he’d never been so intimate with someone in his life. He hadn’t realized it before but every part of him wanted to be with Liam, and that desire only grew stronger as Liam’s breath trailed his neck and it felt like the sun hitting him. It was so safe and comforting, allowing someone to indulge in him like this. He wanted to remain that way forever. 

Eventually Liam pulled apart, making Zayn frown as he tried to lock lips with Liam again. 

“I feel like we should talk,” Liam said, shifting off of Zayn. 

“There’s always time for that later.” Zayn leaned in and pressed their lips together, Liam letting him for a bit before moving back again. 

“No, really.” 

Zayn nodded, anxiety rising in his chest. 

“Ok.” 

“So I’ll just say it. I like you. Usually I’m not this direct but seeing as you enjoy kissing me I get the vibe you like me too.”

“Um...yeah. I mean, I like you for other reasons too, not just the kissing part,” Zayn said. Liam laughed, his eyes crinkling. 

“I’ve liked you for a bit actually. Since August, really. I just didn’t want it to interfere with work so I never said anything. But then you offered to be my boyfriend for the trip and I thought it might be a good way to see if things could be real, with us. I didn’t wanna make you uncomfortable though, like I just told you about the situation to lure you into it or something.”

“Zayn, I would never think that. Especially since I’ve liked you for a while, too. I wasn’t lying when I said I fell for you the second you sang that song in urdu. I’d been trying to figure out my feelings for days and then you sang it under your breath and I knew. When you mentioned needing a date I figured the opportunity had finally come up and I could prove that I was the perfect boyfriend. But I wasn’t sure how to bring it up so I just...tried to show you, I guess. I can see how that made things more confusing.”

“A bit, yeah. It was hard to tell what, if any of it, was real or just for show. But wait, you’ve liked me since the summer too? Really?”

“Yeah, man. Everything I’ve done these past few days and since then, the touches and the compliments and the gestures. All of it was real, ok? All of it.” 

Zayn nodded, trying to process everything. 

“So...now what?” Zayn asked. 

Liam just shook his head. “Now what?” He said, mimicking Zayn. “Well I wanna be your boyfriend, silly.”

Zayn lit up. “I wanna be your boyfriend too.”

“Then it’s settled. Give me your heart and I’ll give you mine,” Liam said with a laugh. 

Zayn paused. Give me your... _Wait._

“That’s it!” Zayn exclaimed.

“That’s what?” 

“The song! That’s it.” 

Liam gave a puzzled look. “I’m not following.”

Zayn was too excited to clarify his words. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to end that song from over the summer and that’s it.”

Liam was more confused than ever. 

“These past few days, I kept thinking you were saying give me your heart. At the park and then when we were ice skating. In reality you’d said give me your hand or arm but I guess I wanted to hear something else. But now you’ve said it, give me your heart. That’s the ending, me singing give me your heart three times.”

Liam lit up as he was finally understanding. 

“But wait...um.”

“Yeah?” Zayn asked. 

“I don’t wanna assume, but—”

Zayn caught on to what he was going to ask and cut him off before he could continue. 

“It’s for you. The song, that is. When I first wrote the lyrics we’d only known each other for a little while and they just came to me one night after working. After you’d brought it up at dinner this week I went back to it and realized it’s about you. And I guess I couldn’t complete it until now, when we got together.” 

Liam had never blushed harder in his life. He wasn’t sure what to do except kiss Zayn, so he leaned in and pressed their lips together and pulled him close. Zayn reciprocated and held onto Liam’s face again. He loved how Liam always wanted to touch him. Zayn shivered every time, especially now; he didn’t realize how long he’d been craving that kind of touch. It felt like their bodies were getting to know each other, learning how they operated for future’s sake. 

All of a sudden Zayn heard the sound of footsteps and pulled away. He looked under the door and noticed the shuffling of feet throughout the hallway. Reality struck him and Zayn’s mouth fell open and his eyes widened. 

“Zayn what’s—“ 

“SHH!” 

Zayn sat up from the bed, shifting his body so he was as quiet as possible and the bed didn’t creak. He moved towards the door to try and make out who was on the other side and if they were saying anything. 

“...I think he’s still sleeping. The door’s closed and the lights are off,” Waliyha said. 

“Let him rest. He had a long day yesterday. Same with Liam, don't disturb them. They can eat later,” Tricia responded. 

He listened as they seemed to go downstairs, the sound of footsteps fading away. Zayn squatted down and checked under the door to make sure, grateful at the sight of nothing but carpet. He walked back to the bed and sat down, less panicked than before but still slightly stressed. 

“Shit. My parents will be pissed if they find out I spent the night here, I need to get back to my room without anyone seeing me,” Zayn said, turning back to Liam.

Liam nodded. “Did you hear them leave?” 

“I think so. There’s no one out there right now.” 

“Ok, good.”

Zayn shifted awkwardly, not wanting to go but knowing if he didn’t he’d most definitely get caught. He turned to get up but felt something tugging on his arm. 

“Wait—”

He looked back and Liam reached up and clutched onto his face, pulling him in for one last kiss. Zayn moved forward so Liam wasn’t extending his hand as much, lifting his fingers so they clutched onto Liam’s. Liam pulled away seconds later, a smile covering his face. 

“I’ll see you later?”

Zayn nodded and pressed a kiss against Liam’s forehead before walking to the door. He opened it slightly, making sure the coast was clear. After scanning every corner of the hallway he sprinted to his room and shut himself in, making sure to close the door as quietly as possible. 

He kept the lights off and plopped onto his bed, wrapping the blankets around him and letting his mind wander to the last few hours. Liam liked him. He actually fucking liked him, Zayn couldn’t believe it. He just wanted to be near him again but his parents were probably going to start wondering why he hadn’t come downstairs yet so he knew he’d have to greet them soon. He changed into a new pair of sweats and put on an oversized hoodie. He checked his neck to make sure there weren’t any hickeys and headed to the kitchen. 

“Morning, sweetie! Glad you’re up before noon,” Tricia said, bringing him into a hug. 

“Morning, mum.” 

“How’d you sleep?” 

“Uh, fine. You?” He looked around and noticed no one else was around besides him and his mom. 

“Good!” Tricia responded, noticing Zayn’s wavering eyes. “The girls are watching TV and your dad is in his office.”

“Alright.” 

“I made extra eggs and there’s some fruit on the table. Want me to sit with you?” 

Before Zayn could respond he heard footsteps and looked up to find Liam. He had changed into black sweatpants and a striped shirt. 

“Morning. Hope I wasn’t interrupting.” 

“No worries! I was just telling Zayn there’s some leftover food. I’ll let you two be,” Tricia said.

She walked over to the living room, giving Zayn a quick wink before making her way out. 

“Hey,” Liam said with a grin. 

Zayn chuckled. “Hey.” 

Liam made his way over and reached out for Zayn’s fingers, swinging them back and forth. They moved to the table and sat down, shifting their chairs closer together. 

“So how’d you sleep?” Liam asked, prompting an eye roll and shove from Zayn. 

“Fine, thanks.”

“You’re not gonna ask how I slept?” Liam asked. Zayn shook his head at the smug grin on Liam’s face. 

“I can eat somewhere else you know,” Zayn said, and Liam just chuckled.

“Oh please. You probably wanna kiss me right now.” 

Zayn rolled his eyes and Liam showed a smug face. 

“Give me a few hours and I will,” Zayn retorted. 

Liam raised his eyebrows. “I’ll be waiting.”

Zayn just shook his head. 

“I’ll also be waiting to hear that song of yours.” 

Zayn’s eyes widened. “I believe I already told you the lyrics, remember?”

“Yeah but I want you to sing it. The song is for me, you know,” Liam said with a goofy grin and raised eyebrows. 

“I’m already regretting telling you that.” 

“Oh come on you already sang most of it for me once, now you just gotta do the rest.” Zayn sighed. 

“You’re not embarrassed of it now, are you?” Liam asked. 

“Of course not! I just...I’m not used to speaking in Urdu in front of people, let alone sing.” 

“I get that. I’d never wanna make you uncomfortable, babe, but I loved when you did that day.”

Zayn looked up to find Liam’s piercing eyes staring right at him. His expression was genuine and caring, and Zayn could tell he meant every word he’d said. 

“Alright, ok. After I drop you off I will,” Zayn said. 

“Yay! And in return I will let you have that kiss you so desperately want.” 

“Oh please you’re the one who suggested it! You’ve probably been aching for one ever since I left your bed this morning.” 

“Maybe,” Liam said with a grin. “Maybe so.” 

* * *

“Have a safe trip, boys. Zayn, make sure to text me when you get home,” Tricia said as she hugged them both. 

“I will, mum. Love you!”

“Love you too sweetie.” 

They piled into the Addison Lee while waving back at Zayn’s family. Liam’s hand was in his and he couldn’t help but feel a warmth inside his chest. The only thing that would make this day better was giving Liam the present he’d bought him the day before. 

The ride back was quiet; both boys just wanted to be near each other. Liam rested on Zayn’s chest and they listened to music together, cuddling close. After a few hours they arrived back at Liam’s flat. He asked the driver to wait and walked him to the door. 

They stood opposite each other, neither one wanting to leave. Eventually, Zayn piped up. 

“I imagine it’s time for my song.” 

“That would be correct. Here, hold my hands. And you can close your eyes if you want.”

“Is this just an excuse to touch me?” Zayn said with a smug face. 

“You know what, Malik? My flat is just upstairs. I could leave if I wanted to.” 

“I thought you wanted to hear me sing?” 

Liam rolled his eyes dramatically, prompting a chuckle from Zayn. 

“Fine fine, I’ll do it.” He reached out and held onto Liam’s hands, stroking his knuckles gently. Zayn closed his eyes and relaxed himself, breathing slowly. 

_Jab tak is mohabbat ka phool na khilay_

_Tab tak is dill ko sukoon na miley_

_Dil day mujhe, Dil day mujhe, Dil day mujhe_

Zayn slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head. Liam’s eyes were big and soft and Zayn could feel his heart beating out of his chest. Before he could speak, Liam grabbed his face and kissed him passionately, running his hands through Zayn’s hair and down his back. He didn’t pull away until at least a minute later, Zayn’s eyes wide and overwhelmed. 

“Fair trade?”

Zayn just nodded and Liam giggled. 

“I loved it. I knew I would.”

Zayn smiled at the ground, Liam lifting his chin with his knuckles so he could see Zayn’s face. 

“Thank you for writing me that song, babe. You’re amazing. And thank you for singing it to me in a language I imagine means a lot to you.” 

Zayn beamed, almost forgetting about the gift in his pocket until he moved his hand down and felt it. 

“Shit I—. I got you something,” he rushed out.

“Yeah?” Liam said softly. 

Zayn removed the small box from his pocket and handed it over. 

“I was thinking about how you said you couldn’t express yourself with your ex-boyfriend and I thought maybe this would help with that. I want you to keep feeling safe around me.”

Liam opened the box to reveal a silver chain with a triangle pendant hanging from it. He stared at it, a soft smile appearing on his face. 

“Zayn, I...thank you.” Liam leaned forward and kissed him again, gently this time, stroking his chin. 

“I got you something, too, actually. Don’t open it till you get home, ok?”

Zayn nodded, reaching for the bag and holding onto Liam’s hand for a second longer. 

“I’ll see you soon,” Liam said. 

“Yeah. See you.” 

Zayn turned around and got back in the Addison Lee, his foot beginning to tap anxiously as he awaited arriving home to open his gift. 

Once he got to his flat he rushed into the elevator and then up to his place. Zayn jumped on his couch and quickly reached into the bag. He removed the tissue paper to reveal a comic book. More specifically the comic he told Liam he’d been trying to buy for weeks but couldn’t find anywhere. He opened it to find a sticky note on the first page. 

_I know we said that reading comic books was our second date but I was thinking we could write our own story. Next week at my place? xoxo_

The corners of Zayn’s lips turned upward and he lied back, reading the note over and over again. He’d already agreed to give Liam his heart. Looks like Liam was going to give him his too. 


End file.
